Expanded Alembic Due By Late Summer, Hopefully

At last there is some movement on the upcoming Second Act Marketplace and Events project in the former Red Vic, which includes an expansion of The Alembic next door into the former theater’s lobby area. The popular Upper Haight bar and restaurant — where, as we found recently, the food is better than ever — has long overgrown its narrow quarters, and the prospect of a little extra breathing room and drinking space was welcome news to its fans. As Uppercasing reports, construction is now finally beginning, and we should see a large Alembic by late summer or early fall.

These timelines are, of course, always iffy and subject to random delays, but construction is expected to last six months, with the Alembic’s kitchen having to close near the end of that time, and the bar remaining open as long as possible. Ultimately, a wall is going to have to come down, and as you can see from the floor plans, the dining room and lounge will expand with about 38 seats, with a 14-seat communal table at the center where some of the existing tables are now. The bar itself will remain as-is.

The rest of the Red Vic space, meanwhile, is becoming a food hall modeled on 331 Cortland in Bernal Heights, and a community event space. Three of the tenants in the five food stalls were previously announced as Picnic Bakery, a vegan bakery; High Cotton, a grab-and-go meal spot; and Lali’s, a La Cocina-supported business featuring Georgian cuisine.